Central Asia and the Caucasus with Hendriks

·         26.6 Our travel journey starts in the capital city of the land of fire, Azerbaijan - Baku. We will have a look at the historical center and bustling Baku market, as well as the traditional outskirts where we will enjoy Azeri tea and have a chance how the people live in this country. We will taste Azerbaijani cuisine, which is also welcomed by vegetarians.

·         27.6. We start our day in Baku, a city of almost 5 million people, by the Caspian Sea, which is the lowest place on earth - 28 meters below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. The promenade by the sea stretches through the entire city - here we will also visit the famous Persian Carpet Museum. Before departure, we will also have a look at the Soviet part of the city and see the oil wells that are characteristic of this country that makes most of its revenue out of oil and gas. In the evening, we fly to Dushanbe in Tajikistan, arriving in Central Asia. Welcome to the stans, one of the most ethnically diverse parts of the world.

·         28.6. We wake up in Dushanbe, the city of the poorest (and for our guide Hendriks) the most interesting country of the former Soviet Union. It is one of the most mountainous countries in the world, with mountains making up 93% of the total area. We register the cult of President Emomali Rahmon, ruling here with an authoritarian approach for more than 30 years. His portraits and slogans in frames everywhere definitely prove this. We walk through the city center, visit Dushanbe's central market, but also the outskirts with true Soviet architecture, and realize how huge differences there are here between poor and rich. In a city where Lada is parked next to Maybach. Evening we will go for the bizarre Independence Park full of lights followed by dinner in one of the most luxurious restaurants in the city where the food costs approximately 5 euros.

·         29.6. The first day with our driver and 4x4 jeep begins and we leave Dushanbe. The road that we will follow in the following days was called the most difficult by Marco Polo while crossing the Silk Road. Along the way, we will stop at the historical UNESCO-listed fortress Hulbuk from the times of the Silk Road. We will visit the colorful bazaar in the city of Kulob and taste the legendary Central Asian melons, the atmosphere of rural Tajikistan is stunning. In the afternoon we will continue to the Bartang Valley to have beautiful views. We will have dinner and spend the night at the place where two rivers meet called Kalaikumb. On the other side of the river is Afghanistan.

·         20.6. Today we will set off early after breakfast, around 5 am. The 7-hour journey to Khorog awaits us - this is the center of the Pamir Autonomous Region of Tajikistan. It was here that the government violently suppressed protests in 2022, resulting in hundreds of deaths. After arriving on a rocky road, we will explore the city and its colorful Pamiri bazaar, and park, but also the architectural gem of Khorog - the Jamatkhala Mosque. There are not a lot of mosques in the Pamirs, the locals mostly pray at home. The harsh regime forbids them from doing so altogether - the interesting thing about this part of the world, however, is that Islam here is completely different from what we know - it is a Sunni Ismaeli strain of Islam and very moderate. Local women are mostly not veiled and some locals even drink alcohol. We will spend the evening relaxing at the view of the mountains at sunset and preparing for the start of the Pamir Highway segment of the journey itself.

·         1.7. Copying the Afghan border, we headed to the city of Ishkashim, where it was still possible to cross the Panj River to Afghanistan in 2020. We will have a bath in a hot spring, which Alexander the Great described during his travels. We observe peasant life and beautiful valleys on the Afghan and Tajik sides. Around lunchtime we arrive in a part of the Pamirs called the Wakhan Valley, which is a narrow, fertile strip of Afghanistan between Tajikistan and Pakistan and at the same time the least visited place on the Asian continent. We stop in villages and get to know the culture of the Wakhan people, who have their language and have lived here for millennia. We taste local cuisine and homemade dairy products. In the afternoon we arrived at the Yamchun fortress, which guarded the area from invasions by Arabs and other conquerors. We will continue from the car on foot to the 1500-year-old Buddhist monastery of Vrang Buddha with incredible views of the Wakhan Valley and the old cave dwellings in the area, which in the past served as a defense against enemy invasions into the region. From the accommodation, we will see as far as the Hindu Kush and the Pakistan Peaks reaching up to 7700m.

·         2.7. Early in the morning after a traditional breakfast, we set off. Curious locals will keep us company everywhere. Our journey will follow to the village of Langkar, where there are almost 3,000-year-old rock paintings from the time when Buddhism and Islam still ruled the Pamirs. In the thin air, we will have to reach an altitude of almost 4,000 meters and we will work hard. After about an hour of driving, if the security situation is good, we will be able to wade through a shallow river to Afghanistan - of course, everyone according to their feelings. After this experience, we will move over the Khargush Pass 4,300m to the mountain lakes. We climb gradually from Dushanbe, so the chance of altitude sickness is lower. At this place, we will see marmots and if we are lucky, a sheep named after Marco Polo. It is characterized by beautifully curved horns, with which the locals decorate their homes, it belongs to the customs of the religion called Zoroastrianism, the predecessor of Islam. We will stop in the coldest village in Central Asia called Bulunkul. It was measured at -63 degrees here. It is unbelievable why people still live here. On the way to Murghab, we will see the yaks. Arriving in Murghab is such a bizarre experience. The appearance of the local people changes from Persian-looking Pamirans to Kyrgyz with East Asian features. The road in Murghab divides into the one that continues to Kyrgyzstan and also to China - the border is only about 50 km, but both are closed to ordinary residents. Simply a wasteland, where state propaganda plays on the radio all day long. We will visit a historic mosque, an interesting bazaar made of shipping containers, but also a statue of Lenin that takes pride of place on the main square + a secret tavern, where you can even dance to Russian and Kyrgyz hits afternoon.

·         3.7. After a good sleep and a traditional Kyrgyz breakfast, we will leave Murghab around 10 am. Our goal is the Soviet Shorbulak Observatory at an altitude of 4400 meters. Of course - it is no longer functional, but you can see the traces of scientists who worked here 50 years ago. The feeling of loneliness will be strong here. After this, we will continue our Journey back to Khorog, but we will travel on a different road than we arrived here. On the way through Central Pamirs, we will see many historical bridges crossing the river and - of course, beautiful nature and a series of Soviet bus stops from the time when public transport existed here during the 70s and 80s. There is even a book and a movie about them called “Soviet bus stops”. In the evening we arrive in Khorog and will celebrate this with a nice local drink.

·         4.7. Today we leave Khorog for the town of Kalaikumb in the afternoon, there will be time to recover. We will buy souvenirs at the local bazaar, have the best local samosa (pastry stuffed with meat, onion or potatoes, and herbs), and even - after almost a week - we can even have an espresso. After a 7-hour afternoon trip, we are back in Kalaikumb, a town where two rivers meet. We recommend having a perfect mango juice made in Afghanistan from the local shop here.

·         5.7. This is the day when we have a full-day trip for the last time. In the morning we leave Kalaikum with a stop at the historical museum at the Hulbuk fortress + Lake Nurek. After passing Dushanbe we will also stop in the mining town of Sarvoda, full of Soviet architecture and also an incredibly authentic Tajik atmosphere. We will also see one of the largest Soviet mosaics of entire “stans” – the Zerafshan mosaic. In the evening we cross the Tajik-Uzbek border by land and in the evening we are in Samarkand, which is one of the most famous cities of the Silk Road together with Khiva and Bukhara.

·         6.7. Our last day is here, and it will be the best one! After breakfast, we will visit one of the most beautiful architectural pieces in the world - Registan Square (for our guide Hendrik’s top 5 ever) which was a madrasa once, built by Timur the Great. The blue city of Samarkand is a gem. We will continue to the Bibi Khanim mausoleum and mosque - the materials were brought from India by 95 elephants. We will get lost in the mahallas, where Uzbeks have lived in the small streets for millennia. Afternoon we will go to Siab market to buy something tasty for our friends and families

Our journey through this beautiful and authentic part of the world ends here - flying home😊.

What is included in the price:

• accommodation with breakfast in 3, 4* hotels and guesthouses (dinner in Tajikistan part of the trip)

• English speaking guide

• Toyota Land Cruiser 4×4 for Tajikistan part

• entry to the Registan Square, Bibi Khanim mosque in Uzbekistan.

• entry to the Pamir National Park in Tajikistan

• special Uzbek dinner in Samarkand

• local surprise at the end

What is not included in the price:

• flights and visas ( we will recommend the easiest and most economical ways)

• personal expenses

  What to bring with you: comfortable outdoor shoes, rain jacket, sunglasses, suncream